Gasoline-covered man bursts into flames after being shot with Taser

An Aborigine man in the Australian Outback burst into flames Monday after being shot by police with a Taser.

The 36-year-old man was sniffing gasoline and had the fuel on his face when he was stunned by police using a device manufactured by Scottsdale-based Taser International.

The man, Ron Mitchell, suffered third-degree burns and is in critical condition in an Australia hospital, according to media accounts of the incident.

Taser spokesman Steve Tuttle said the Scottsdale company advises against the use of the stun guns when accelerants such as gasoline are involved and provides such warnings to police customers.

“Both Taser International and Western Australian police advise that when practical, a Taser device should be avoided when accelerants (petrol) are evident,” Tuttle said in an e-mail to the Phoenix Business Journal. “However, when a real and impending threat needs to be negated, anything within the reach of police can be used in lieu of deadly force. Under some circumstances, the Taser device could still be a reasonable option even in the presence of flammable materials especially when the suspect is running at a police officer with a container of petrol and a lighter. Ultimately, this may have saved this man’s life and prevented serious injury to the officer.”

Tuttle also sent the warning Taser provides to police regarding flammable liquids.: “Taser devices can ignite gasoline, other flammables, or explosive vapors (i.e., gases found in sewer lines). Some self defense sprays use flammable carriers such as alcohol and could be dangerous to use in immediate conjunction with Taser devices.”

Mitchell charged at police with a cigarette lighter and a gasoline container and was hit on the bridge of his nose with the Taser, according to press accounts by the BBC and the Australian newspaper. Mitchell had a criminal record and Australian police said the alternative could have been shooting him when he rushed at the officer